WETNOSE CANINE TRAINING®Make a wise investment in the future of your dog.

Dogs and man have had a relationship for many years. During this time dogs have been taught to perform various functions – hunting probably being the original motivation followed by guarding and herding. The boundaries within which man and dog lived were not clearly defined by walls and fences and a natural interaction resulted.

As time went by the lives of many humans and dogs became more confined. Even fifty years ago our lifestyles were so different, much of the frenetic rush that seems that seems to affect almost everyone today was a rarity. Suburban life encouraged the interaction of the residents, especially the children and in most cases the dogs. Children played on the streets and in the parks and the dogs went with them – yes we had dog fights, but the dogs themselves soon sorted things out – it was almost as if these things were expected. The children were no different and the occasional bout of fisticuffs was not unusual. By the next day these were forgotten and life continued. Very few of the dogs had any formal training but when the kids were called for supper they went home together. In our towns and cities people and dogs now live behind high walls and the natural social interaction has been destroyed. It is this lifestyle that has created the need for more and more training and behavioural facilities.

The human has evolved over centuries from hunter/gatherer to the present and much of this adaptation has been of his own making. However we now do not question how our animals are going to adapt to these changes. Freedoms have been curtailed and while the human can find the necessary stimulation to cope with these changes our animals are not so fortunate. They now have to find different ways to keep them amused and when this is not in line with human concepts, it is invariably seen as bad behaviour. The dog now needs to be punished or suddenly the idea of training is considered as a cure for all ills. Training however requires participation from the human and time does not allow for this – it also requires effort. Maybe the easy way out is the dog psychologist – this is not a joke – go into any good bookshop and look at the titles of the many of the books in the pet or natural history section. Once again the dog is seen as the culprit but little is done to actually remedy the situation.

The need to provide our dogs with some exercise and mental stimulation in the form of training and to cure him or her of behavioural traits has lead to a whole new industry. Dog trainers are literally two a penny as this is seen by many as an easy way of making an extra buck. No special skills or qualifications are required and the market appears to accept anything that is provided. Even worse seems to be the situation regarding those who are apparently looking after the animal’s mental welfare. With a little bit of theory and no practical experience whatsoever they are now consultants. In many of the cases it is actually the owner who should be on the couch and not the dog.

The time has come that we as humans must start accepting our responsibility and acknowledge that in most cases of unwarranted behaviour it is the human who is to blame and not the dog.